BIO
Robby Ocktavian
is an Indonesian artist and arts organizer who explores various forms of expression and media. He was born in Samarinda, a city in East Kalimantan province, where he developed his interest in cinema and music. He studied International Relations at Mulawarman University in Samarinda, and later learned to understand and produce visual works in Jakarta, through the Milisifilem program.
Milisifilem is a program that aims to develop critical thinking and creativity among arts and cultural activists through workshops, discussions, screenings and productions. Robby joined the program in its first class in 2017 and has since been involved in various projects with other participants from different parts of Indonesia.
In Samarinda he is active in Sindikat Sinema, a film community that screens films in various locations around Samarinda for the local audience. He started this initiative in 2011 with his friends who share the same interest in cinema. They often use public spaces such as parks, bridges, alleys, or rooftops as their screening grounds. They also invite local or guest filmmakers to join their events and have a dialog with the audience.
Robby has been involved in several films, such as Filem Hitam Putih Project (2018) as project manager, Dolo (2020) as editor, Hari Ini Belum ada Kabar (2020) as editor and co-director, and as a sound designer on the film Segudang Wajah Para Penantang Depan (2021) which have been screened at various festivals and events. He has also made several films, such as Cut (2018), Buru (2018), and the film series Ritual (2022) which interpreted Korrie Layun Rampan’s literary work Ceremony. His films often address social issues or personal stories that reflect his experiences or observations.
His films are often related to single-channel video art such as the film series Ritual (2022), A Novel Colony (2022) presented in Extended Asia Vol. 3 Discovery for the Singapore Biennale. His work Kabar (2020) is at the intersection of video and performance art.
He is also interested in sound art and has created several works using objects, instruments and field recordings. Some of his works that have a relationship with sound art include Baur (2019), and Kabar (2018). His work often explores the relationship between sound and space or sound and memory.
Robby currently works as a director at Muara Kreasi Merdeka Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on arts education and cultural development. He is responsible for managing various programs and activities such as workshops, exhibitions, festivals, residencies, etc. She also participates in various online platforms and collaborations with other artists from different countries such as Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, UK, Germany etc. He says that the pandemic has changed the way he presents his ideas and he faces some challenges in the online space due to lack of infrastructure and resources. However, he remains optimistic that sound art and film can be a means to share stories and experiences with people around the world. He is inspired by many things, such as nature, culture, history, politics, technology, or even trivial things that he encounters everyday.
Robby attempts to offer his experiences and thoughts to the audience or listeners through his works. He is passionate about contributing to the development of sound and film art in Samarinda. He says that he still has many ideas and projects that he wants to realize in the future. In his activities, he tries to show that with passion and dedication, sound art and film can be a powerful medium to communicate and share knowledge.